


Bonfire

by sheroars



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Protect Ellie, Save Alec, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-07
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-06 11:28:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3132749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheroars/pseuds/sheroars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He told her that you can never really know someone's heart.  She disagreed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mending

She wasn't thinking about the domino effect. Or the consequences. Or the plus points. 

She was thinking about how endearing his clumsy kisses were and how goddamn good his hands felt and mouth tasted. He was so warm. 

When they were too breathless and shaky to push each other any farther they all but froze. Silent tears ran down her face and even she seemed confused as to why. She was still straddling his lap. His hand moved from her hips to her slick back, pulling her into a tight embrace. He took her weight and fell back against the headboard. Her forehead was forced awkwardly up against his. She took deep breaths and buried her face in his neck. They held each other till the room stopped spinning. 

When she regained feeling in her legs she slid off to the side. He stroked her arm and crawled out of the bed, pulling on boxer shorts. He disposed of a handful of plastics and brought her a bottle of water before digging around in his bag and bringing her a massive burgundy jumper she could never picture him wearing.   
She pulled it on greedily. The room was frigid now that they weren’t- you know… 

She kicked the covers down as he rejoined her. 

Fucking hell. She just shagged Alec Hardy. 

“When’d you get so considerate?” She prodded. He shrugged and smirked when he found a double meaning. She backhanded his arm. Their hair was all over the place. He lay down beside her and ran his fingers over her exposed thigh. She wriggled when he found a ticklish spot inside her knee. She didn’t know if they were deprived or just good or both but bloody hell she’d never been with anyone who made her feel like this. She sipped the water and wiped at her cheeks. 

She joined him, lying down facing him, after getting up to wash her face and pull on clean knickers. They were tight little boy shorts with a lacy waist that made him stare. The heavy duvet settled around their hips. He reached out and ran a knuckle down her nose almost playfully. Was this really happening? Seriously. Someone who abstained from contact so steadfastly...was this him? Before all the shit hit the fan? 

“What do you see when you look at me?” He touched her chin. The muscle was tight. She was trying not to cry again. 

“I see you.” She raised an eyebrow. “Was that the part where I’m supposed to say the most beautiful girl in the world?” 

“God no. Last person that told me that...let’s not establish a pattern.” Jo. He moved closer, running a fingertip under her eye. 

“Did I answer right then?” 

“Yah,” She smiled softly. “Who do you think I am though?” 

“Why are you concerned?” 

“Just am.” 

“I see-” He huffed and thought a moment. “You are an incredibly resilient person. A fierce mother. Intelligent. Attentive. Someone who terrifies just as much as she’s terrified.” He admitted almost readily. 

“Yah?” 

“Yah.” 

“You’re a good man Alec. Why did you let me wonder about that so long?” He smiled back, drowsy and relaxed to the bone. She ran her hand up his back and down again. She found her own nail marks and blushed. 

“Jus’ told you- you’re terrifying.” She pinched his hip and smiled again. 

“What do we do now?” She asked softly. He found her knee under the covers. 

“I dunno.” He admitted. “We can start with breakfast." The sun would rise soon. 

“My sister- she thinks you destroyed my life.” He winced. 

“I did.” 

“You kind of helped Jo. You’re trying your hand at fixing it though and he bloody well isn't.” 

“I’m not that handy.” He confessed. 

“I am sometimes.” She rubbed her temple with the heel of her hand and breathed deeply. He glimpsed a dark hicky on her neck. He was almost sorry till he remembered the teeth marks in his shoulder. He leaned in to run his lips over the darkening bruise. He found another in the crook of her shoulder. When she noticed what he was doing she cuffed him in the arm and mumbled something about typical bloke. 

“Why don't you change your name?” She opened her eyes and fidgeted with the sleeve of the jumper. 

“Move away...never look back? Tom would- well, I don't know what Tom would do.” He nodded,“Does your ex still use your name?” 

“No. Kid kept it though.” He kept his hand on her knee, turning on his back, looking up at the shadows on the ceiling. She tucked her arm under her head. “I’m not…I’m not a good talker.” 

“Hadn’t noticed.” He shot her a glare and pulled her closer, tugging on her leg roughly. She laughed lightly and settled against him lazily, maintaining the position but sliding her bare leg over his. 

“You’re easy to talk to when you’re not being so bloody annoying.” Their eyes met again. 

“Are you going to think less of me? In the morning?” She blurted out. 

“No.” He shook her hands off his arm before gripping her elbow and pulling her against him entirely, gently pushing her head against his shoulder and pulling her arm around him. She sank into him, hooking a leg over his trim hips and burying her face in his neck. “No, no, no. That much I can promise El.” He played with her curls idly, rubbing her back and leg. 

He was so focused on the feel of Ellie Miller’s body on his that he nearly missed the soft laughter. “How are you so ticklish?” His hand had wandered to the skin behind her ear. 

“It’s not that-” He ran his fingers over her neck. Her ear jerked towards her shoulder trapping his fingers and drawing a snicker out of him. She scrunched her nose and caught his hand. “I’m covered in bruises, bite marks, and hickies from Alec Hardy.” 

“Why’d he do that?” He pulled the same face he did when he used to tease her about Dirty Brian. 

“He figures himself a good shag I reckon.” 

“Well?” She shrugged. 

“I mean it wasn’t-” Before she could get off another sarcastic remark he had flipped them rather quickly with intention to silence her rather sensually. She gave out a girlish shriek and then covered her mouth as he laughed at her. “Oh shut up.” He suddenly couldn’t breathe and had to roll off her to contain himself she rolled her eyes. “Liked you better when you were grumpy.” She crossed her arms. 

“Oh yah?” His accent deepened and she knew she was in trouble. He resumed his position on top of her, pulling the jumper down over her shoulder with one hand and easing the other up, flat over her stomach. She rippled underneath him. 

“Well…I could be swayed.” 

“Mmmmm,” Their kisses were rhythmic and open mouthed, making no allowances for breathing. She broke first, catching his face in her hands and turning her head. He panted against her cheek before kissing it. Her heart nearly stopped beating as he settled with his cheek against her stomach, scruff raising goose bumps all over her skin. They listened to each other breathe for awhile. 

It felt so strange. It was out of character for both of them. It was a cheap TV script. Maybe it was inevitable. Man plus woman. Mum always said you could never be just friends with a bloke. She never met this one though. It didn't feel like a mistake. It didn't feel like another shoe was gonna drop. Not from him at least. She thought back to the beginning of the evening and closed her eyes. She felt something warm settle in her chest. Maybe this is what beginning feel like.


	2. So This is Where It Started

Ellie had moved away from Broadchurch before the trial had even ended. An hour away to a bigger small town called Gracing. 

She had about six months of complete radio silence from her past life. It felt like six years. But then he started hovering, coming and sitting on her porch with her late at night. Sometimes it was silent. Sometimes he sat closer and touched her back while she cried. Sometimes they talked. Sometimes he brought take out or alcohol or both. Jo was gonna be up for parole in thirty years. They didn't talk about him though. 

It all scared the shit out of her at first. She had just managed to go a day without thinking about him and the Latimers and her ex husband and here he was again. But it was almost nice. 

Tom started noticing something was up about a week in to the routine. 

“So who brought you flowers?” 

"Sorry?" 

"You had a date last night." Tom pointed to the empty wine bottle and the flowers on the counter. Shit. 

"I had a friend over." Ellie strapped a bleary Fred into his high chair. Poor thing was getting over a cold. A dish of applesauce and a sippy cup full of orange juice made him brighten right up. 

"Who was it?" Tom poured himself a bowl of cereal. 

"Do you remember Mr. Alec Hardy?" He almost dropped the milk jug. 

"The copper?" They sat at the table, "Why?" 

"Just checking in. He's offered to take us out to dinner if you're interested." 

"Dinner?" 

"Is there an echo in here?" 

"Where?" 

"Your choice," Tom poked at his breakfast and fell silent. Ellie bounced her leg nervously. 

"Mazzios." He decided quietly. 

“That sounds good. What do you say Fred?” 

“Shit.” Tom cackled as Ellie dropped her head to the table. 

“So he fancies you. Do you fancy him?” 

“Thomas Lee Oscar Miller it’s dinner. Let’s not jump to conclusions.” Tom raised an eyebrow. They fell silent and listened to the morning news on the TV. Fred fussed with his diaper as Ellie started the dishes. 

“Can you get that Tom?” 

“Come on Fred,” He hauled the chubby three and a half year old up on his hip and wrinkled his nose. “I’m gonna give him a bath Mum.” She hadn’t bothered with his two-day fever and throw up. The worst seemed to have passed. 

“Smells worse than you do does he?” 

“Don’t want him running off your date do we?” 

“Cheeky.” 

“Sneaky.” Ellie couldn’t hide her smile. Tom snorted and bounced his brother as he went upstairs. Fourteen going on forty. 

When Alec pulled up the front door was open while the screen door was shut. He could see the little one sitting in the entryway with fists full of chunky blocks. He mounted the porch. The toddler waved. He waved back. He tapped on the door lightly. Tom slid around the corner in sock feet. 

“Hi,” Tom let him in and picked up Fred. “Mum’s getting ready.” 

“TOM PICK UP YOUR SHOES.” She hollered almost on cue. 

“Whoops- hold on a minute.” The baby was set down. “ALEC HARDY’S HERE MUM.” He yelled back as he pounded up the stairs. The other one toddled and grabbed a hold of Alec’s knee with one hand. He had his mother’s eyes and hair for sure. Alec suppressed a smile and caught a chubby, slightly sticky hand. 

“Hey, sorry.” Ellie came down, almost freezing at the image of Alec and Fred. Bloody Alex Hardy in jeans and a jumper. 

“Hey, he’s gotten taller.” 

“Like a little weed,” Freddy squealed and reached for his Mum’s fingers. Ellie picked him up. She looked a little tired, like she'd just gotten up from a nap. Her eyes were red. He hated that she cried so much still. Alec touched her cheek lightly with the backs of his fingers. She bit her lip and shyly dropped eye contact. He smirked and did it again, trailing down her neck and curling his hand against her shoulder, not missing how she took the smallest of steps closer. “Did you say hi to Alec?” He giggled and dropped his head to his mother’s shoulder. 

“Hi Alec!” He smiled around the thumb in his mouth. 

“This one's Fred right?” 

"Very right," 

“So where are we going?” Alec dropped his hand as Tom came down the stairs, softly pinching Ellie’s wrist between his thumb and first knuckle in retaliation for her bemused expression.

“Mazzios.” Tom eyed them and pulled an equally amused face. The ride was quiet aside from Tom’s occasional question and Freddie’s babble. Mazzios turned out to be a little Italian place with open air seating next to the lake she had mentioned the night before. It was massive and tonight, still and vacant. Tom casually mentioned how good it was for fishing. Alec casually pulled the chair next to the highchair out before sidling out to the bathroom to take medication in privacy. Ellie raised an eyebrow. “Get some.” Tom fake coughed into his hand. 

“Shut it.” 

“Told you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind words, the feels are real.   
> Live for feedback always.


	3. And This is Where We Made a Choice

There was spaghetti, chicken parm, and white wine, hand braided bread sticks, espressos, and gelato. Tom talked about school and football when prodded. Ellie bragged about his grades being higher. He rolled his eyes. 

“Freddy how tall am I?” He took his little brother’s hand. 

“Don’t you dare…” Ellie narrowed his eyes. 

“Bloody tall Tom.” 

“Stop cussing in front of him then.” He shrugged at his mother. 

“Shut up Hardy. Quit making it easy for me to swear.” 

“I didn’t say anything!” 

“You were thinking it.” He scowled. Freddie bubbled over with laughter. 

“Alec’s gwumpy cat.” 

“What’s that darling?” 

“Gwumpy cat!” He kicked his feet and spooned gelato into his mouth with his fingers. Tom snorted and pulled out his phone. 

“It’s one of those Internet things.” 

“Oh Christ it is you.” Ellie covered her mouth. Alec pulled out his glasses and took the phone. His frown deepened as he attempted to mimic the cat’s face. The Miller clan erupted into laughter. He shrugged and returned the device, leaning back and closing his arm. 

Ellie caught her breath as a breeze ruffled Alec’s messy hair. The glasses and the V-neck were going to be the end of her. He caught her glance and shot her a quick smile before pulling the face at Freddie again to make him shriek with laughter. 

“Alec- ALEC- grumpy cat Alec.” He sing songed in his little baby babble. Tom shook his head and laughed again. 

“We’ll keep that on the down low eh Freddie? Grumpy cat isn’t a very macho copper tag is it?” 

“You know what my name was at the academy?” 

“I'm dying to know." 

“Ha. Ha.” Alec lost track of the conversation a little. She looked nice. Her blazer was fitted and plaid, showed her forearms, completely different than the ones she used to wear to work. He knew she wan't policing anymore. She had some sort of counseling thing going. It might have been at a school. He couldn't remember. The blouse underneath was collared but purple and a bit lower cut that what he was used to seeing her in. He shifted and tuned back into the talk. It was about cricket now. The sun was beginning to set as they left the lakeside and it was almost hot. She shrugged the jacket before taking Freddie on her hip. He swallowed. Halter-top. 

“Thanks Mr. Hardy.” Tom stood on the doorstep and offered his hand up. He shook it. 

“Alec.” He corrected. 

“Before you lock yourself away with Call of Duty for twelve hours- help Freddie with that weird Lego thing.” Tom sighed deeply. 

“Mum it’s the millennium falcon.” 

“Show him how to make it you know I’m rubbish.” 

“STAR WARS.” Freddie bellowed, pushing his way past the screen door, crawling away with his legs straight and his bum as high in the air as he could. Ellie sighed. Her eldest pulled a pleading face. 

“That’s what you get for dropping him Tom.” 

“You dropped him too.” 

“Off you go.”

“Bear crawl race upstairs Fred.” 

“ImmaWIN.” Ellie rolled her shoulders and sat heavily on the porch step, searching her purse. 

“Has he always been good with him?” 

“Barely looked at him before Danny passed. Small blessings.” She flicked out a cigarette and a lighter. 

“Those’ll kill you Miller.” She smirked and lit up as he sat next to her.

“Only once in a blue moon.” She coughed and tried to refrain from spitting. “Last time I buy the cheapies.” Alec examined the pack. It was an herbal off brand. He furrowed his brow and shrugged. The sun was sinking down the tree line. No neighboring houses obscured the view. She shivered and exhaled a long stream of smoke without any trouble. He snagged the cigarette. “You of all people shouldn’t be-” 

His other hand turned her chin as he leaned in and shut her up. His mouth was on hers. 

Well...

She kissed him back. It was chaste and hesitant until she couldn't goddamn breathe and had to bring some oxygen in and clear the fog wrapping her brain. He caught her bottom lip. Once. Twice. There was a catch in her throat as his tongue swept across hers, nicotine and wine. They were both out of practice but it didn’t seem to dampen the effects on either of them. She nipped his lip and he pulled away smugly, leaning back on his elbow and taking a pull on the cancer stick. He choked. 

“That is bloody terrible.” She took it back got a few smoother puffs out of it. 

“Calms me down though.” She stamped out the filter under her boot and leaned back as the last of the light left the sky. She pulled her jacket back on and he almost mourned it. He casually pushed a curl behind her ear. 

“What’s you’re real name- like on your birth certificate? Ella?” She wrinkled her nose. 

“Eleanor. Eleanor Annabelle Carter. Horrid.” She met his eyes. There was something softer about him. Where the bloody hell did that come? Why did she like it? 

“You keep looking surprised.” 

“You surprise me.” 

“Good or bad?” 

“Definitely good.” She giggled. 

“Why the laugh?” 

“Why the interrogation?” 

“Well…” 

“Well?” She leaned back, warming her hands in the bends of her knees. “Do I make you uncomfortable Hardy?” 

“Opposite actually. I’m too comfortable around you.” 

“Really? I get the brunt of all your unfiltered thoughts and desires?” He shot her a look. “Kidding. I reckon walking out is one of the easier things. You haven’t. Not yet.” 

“Do you want me to?” He was fishing. 

“No sir.” She answered quickly and twisted her hands. He could almost see her thinking. She reached up, stopped herself, and then went for it. She tugged on the collar of his jumper till she found the top of a thick white scar. She had glimpsed it earlier during dinner and almost didn't believe it. He had gotten the fucking operation. “What made you change your mind?” He stared into the space over her shoulder. 

“I uh- had a really bad attack. So bad they contacted my next of kin.” He sucked in a breath and she brushed a finger over it, letting the collar fall back into place but not quite moving her hand. “I didn’t know- well I really didn’t care whether I lived or died. Everything hurt. It was like a whole body ache. I just wanted it over. Let them transfer me back to Scotland on a Monday. Went into surgery on a Wednesday, woke up on a Sunday afternoon and-” He shrugged. 

“I wish you had told me.” He grabbed her hand, held it against his mouth for a long moment. 

“I thought I might just slip away. Go to sleep.” 

“And let me wonder?” 

“I came back didn’t I?” He bristled. The idea of abandonment made them both sick. “I came looking- knew you weren’t in Broadchurch. Olly gave yah up…” 

“Course he did. Why though? Why me?” He winced and sucked in another breath. He dropped her hand abruptly but held it against his leg, rubbing her wrist. 

“I uh- well. When we worked together- it- it sucked for awhile didn’t it?” 

“Yah?” God it was like pulling teeth. He winced again. 

“But I felt something. Butting heads. Arguing. Snapping at each other. You were an…are different. You treat people different. When I pissed you off you invited me to dinner. I don’t know why. Guess I wanted to find out.” She pressed the lightest of kisses against his mouth. 

“Ditto. Just so you know.” 

“Pardon?” He tried to push back the mental fog that seemed to accompany kissing her. 

“You treated me differently. My entire career I felt people were thinking I was something fragile. Jo always acted like I needed some sort of external conscious to guide me. I’m the younger sister. You don’t watch your language or filter your thoughts around me. At first I thought you were just emotionally retarded-” He smirked “-but then I realized you were just…your own man I guess, a bit more like me than I cared to admit. Just inverted or something.” 

“So we intrigue each other. That’s a start.” 

“To what exactly?” His eyes flickered down to her lips. The whole conversation they seemed to have been getting closer. His hand was tucked around her thigh; thumb tracing the in seam of her jeans. Her forearm was resting over his, hand loosely clasping his wrist. His other arm was on the step around her back, lightly pressed against her shoulder blades. He leaned in to meet her lips. She raised herself, coyly dodging. He raised an amused eyebrow and tilted his head, pressing a warm kiss to her throat, sucking at the skin ever so lightly. She touched his ear and brought him back up, taking his mouth hungrily. He grinned and returned her attention, drinking her in. They dully acknowledged the yelling from within the house. 

“MUMMA COME LOOK,” Something came pounding down the stairs and Alec ended the kiss clumsily. She stood up without letting go of his arm. He followed her example, kissing her wrist and dropping her hand before opening the screen door for her. Freddie had bounced down the stairs on his bum with half of a contraption in his hands. 

“Would you look at that? Regular architect you are!” She praised him, ruffling his curls. 

“Big boys build stuffs.” He agreed, zooming it through the air. 

“Can big boys get jammies on?” 

“Yep. Night Night Alec.” He boosted himself off the stairs and wrapped his arms around the man’s knees. 

“G’night Fred.” The little boy crawled up the stairs again, half built rocket ship under one arm. He almost capsized on the top but Tom caught him and set him on his way. 

“G’night Alec,” 

“Night,” The boys disappeared and Ellie tugged Alec towards the door by the shirtsleeve. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered. He shook his head. “I uh- I want to figure this out.” She was wringing her hands out again. 

“We’ll go away then.” She smothered a laugh in her hand. He took offense and she laughed harder. He crossed his arms. She settled. 

“Those are the last words I ever expected to hear from you Alec Hardy.” 

“Well I said em.” 

“I uh- Tom's been invited to go camping. Next weekend with some friends. He’ll be gone Friday to Monday playing football in London. I’m sure Lucy would come out for Fred if you’re serious about this.” He looked ready to go off now. 

“Yes I’m bloody well serious Miller.” She shot off a warning glare before he swore again. He grunted and shouldered open the screen door. 

“Hey,” She seized his arm. “Thank you. For everything.” He put a hard kiss on her mouth and made his way out to the car. “Bastard.” 

“I heard that.” 

“Shove off then.” She could have sworn he was smiling again as he pulled out of the driveway.


	4. And This is Where We Are

They didn't see each other much over that week. He texted her periodically, little updates about when he was going to pick her up and that he found a good quiet place. The sun was setting as he got back to her place. She looked pissed. Lucy had followed her out on the porch to glare at him and at the back of her sister's head. Uh oh. 

Once out of town and on the road she softened. The headache she had been nursing all day seemed to fade. 

“You look nice.” He broke the silence and mentally kicked himself for coming up with that of all things. He’d never seen her in a skirt. It was black and draped her knees. The white button down blouse was a bit lower cut, a bit softer. 

“Shut up.” He could see her smiling. She sank into the passenger seat. He was in a suit again. She wondered why. The night whizzed past but she recognized which direction they were going.

“Broadchurch?” He could hear the wince in her voice. 

“No.” He shook his head; dropping one hand from the wheel to grab her hand, examine the Band-Aid wrapped around her thumb. “Just past it.” 

“Just a paper cut. Don’t fuss.” 

“If I wanna fuss, I’ll fuss. Don’t tell me what to do.” She didn’t take her hand back though. He played with her fingers absent-mindedly, kneading them soothingly between his own. They drove an hour past Broadchurch to be precise, still along the coastline. There was a motel tucked inside a little town only big enough for a diner, a general store, a bar, and a gas station. While he got a room key she kicked off her heals and wandered out to the beach. The moon hit off the water. She itched for a smoke. Something to settle her stomach and hands. She heard Alec crunched across the sand, felt the warmth of his arm just a handbreadth away from hers. She shivered. It was cold out tonight. 

He shrugged his jacket and dropped it around her shoulders before picking up her hand and rubbing some life back into it. 

“It’s not fair. How are you always so warm?” He shrugged and took the other one. Ruddy heart surgery that's what. 

They kept the room dark. A little porch faced the beach. She drew the curtains wide open so she could see it. He dropped their bags in front of the TV and stuck his hands into his pockets. 

“What’s your full name?” She asked idly, shrugging his jacket off her shoulders and laying it on the edge of the bed. He looked amused. 

“Alec Benjamin Hardy.” She turned to face him. She looked at him a moment before striding forward, and without hesitation, loosened his tie. He held his breath. The fabric snaked to the floor. She worked all the buttons out and fisted his shirt. She looked at his scar in its entirety. It stretched from just under his collarbone to just above his abdomen and was about as wide as her finger. She pressed her ear to his heart as he let out the breath. His stomach was firm and she could feel his ribs just underneath his skin. His heart was beating with the same eerie calm hers was. His hands were still but she felt his lips touch the back of her neck. 

“Alec,” She repeated. He didn’t like the name but she did. Former boss. Adversary. Partner. Dare she say mate. Partner fit better she supposed. Her hand froze on a ripple of skin just above his right hip. She pulled her cheek away from his chest to look at the white scar, three inches tall and half as wide. She looked up at him with a bit of shock on her face. 

“Uh-” He fumbled with words and grunted. “What is it?” 

“No it’s just that uh- this is funny- we match.” She moved to untuck her blouse. He whipped his hands out of his pockets and pushed her fingers out of the way. He snapped all her buttons open methodically. She was wearing a thin camisole underneath. He let her blouse fall to the floor with his tie. He could feel rather than see her getting red in the face. He pushed the camisole up to over her naval and found a twin scar over her left hip, slightly obscured by stretch marks. Hers was puckered and slightly deeper, a bit wider than it was taller. 

“Were you shot?” 

“Grazed.” She breathed deeply. His face was close to hers; she brushed hair out of his eyes as he rimmed her scar. “High school party gone wrong. Had a kid drop acid and snatch his dad’s glock. He was running around town shooting at street lamps…tried tackling him but he was a bit too tall a bloke for me.” He smirked. His fingers traced another scar, low on her stomach, just above the waistband of her skirt. She bit down on her lip and suppressed a moan. It was shallow and about as long as his palm. “Fred was a little wanker. About had to cut him out before…that’s probably a little too much information.” She winced. 

“No it’s not.” He wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything. 

Christ. When did that happen?

She touched his hip again. He slid one hand around the small of her back, under the camisole, drawing her chest to his. The skin-to-skin contact nearly knocked the wind out of both of them. His other hand moved her fingers over his scar. 

“Got knifed by a bat shit crazy lady who stormed the station after we arrested her son. Well past eighty, got the drop on me before I could grab my handcuffs.” Her lips touched his collarbone and her hands slid around to his back. His skin was warm and her fingers were cold. “So we both had shitty partners at some point.” She smiled against him and looked up. His kiss nearly missed in the dark. The clumsiness of it all made her heart start to work a bit faster. He continued to caress her back for a minute before withdrawing from her shirt and cupping the back of her neck. His other hand made a pass over her arse and pulled her as close as physics would allow in the moment. She threaded her fingers through his hair and memorized the feel of his stomach against hers, his belt teasing her waistband.   
The give and take rhythm combined with a healthy dose of delayed gratification only added to the arousal lacing them together. 

“I’m out of practice.” She murmured in the gap of a kiss. 

“Could’ve fooled me.” 

“Is that a compliment?” He pushed his pelvis into hers as he backed her into the bed. She sucked in a breath. Yep.


	5. Onward

So that's how they got here. 

Passable motel in the middle of nowhere, staring at the ceiling with Alec Hardy's cheek against her stomach. Oddly enough that bed was more damn perfect than her own with someone else in it. They were made for two after all. 

The first time she woke she stretched and almost sat up. The 5 am body clock has no snooze. A heavy arm snagged her waist and pushed her back into the bed. 

"I-" 

"Go back to sleep." He growled, pinning a leg with his knee. 

"Sorry," She grumbled back sarcastically. She lay still. She was about to push him off and say something snarky. Tell him she couldn't get any rest knowing he was trying to get in his hug. She fell asleep before she could formulate her retort. 

The second time she woke he had rolled over but her hand was warm under his. It was well past nine. He didn't budge as she stood up. She dug around her suitcase for pants and grabbed her cigarettes and lighter. She grabbed a towel. She sank ankle deep in the sand and enjoyed the empty beach in all its glory. 

She had about an hour to herself till Alec joined her, sitting beside her. He had pulled on a tee shirt and jeans. He looked ridiculous having rolled the hems a few times to keep the sand out. He hated sand. He sensed her amusement and looked pointedly at the cut off jean shorts she had paired with his jumper. Like a bloody teenager. 

The tide was calm. The beach was still completely empty. It couldn't always be like this, could it? A cold knot tied up her nerves. 

"Do you think things'll work out better this time?" She broke the silence. He filled his palm with sand and let it fall through his fingers. 

"Long term?" 

"Yah," 

"Couldn't tell that. Things are okay right now though. That's something." She nodded agreement. She almost yelped at the speed with which he had slung an arm around her neck and brought her down against his shoulder. They watched the waved a while longer. 

They had to interact with humans only briefly, stopping in the diner for brunch and raiding the general store for all they would need for the rest of the day and the next. 

He bought a postcard for his daughter. 

She remembered her sons and smiled. She started wondering about how much goading it would take to get their children together for a holiday. She took her phone out to text Tom. 

He milled over the beer fridge, a finger "absently" hooked in her pocket, keeping her close to his side while she typed. He didn't like the way the boy at the counter was looking at her. Barely 20. Pimpled. He was so easy sometimes. 

She suppressed a smile. 

Long term had the potential to be pretty amazing with him.


	6. Routine

They sat side by side on the beach again. It was still vacant. A few more weeks and tourists were sure to be around, looking for little summer weekend getaways. 

"Have you ever been camping?" She asked after a sip of surprisingly good cheep beer. 

"Yep," 

"Tom misses the beach. Fred needs to learn how to swim." 

"He's like...barely two right?" 

"Eighteen months," 

"Do you swim?" 

"Shut up," He smirked around his bottle. The sun was starting to set but Ellie hadn't felt this awake in ages. She'd taken a nap earlier in the afternoon. He had read for a bit and joined her. A Jason Bourne movie marathon had been showing on the telly so they sat through the first two before coming back out here. 

"It is nice." He agreed awhile later, the sun was hallway sunk into the water. The sky was pink and orange. He leaned over to kiss on her neck. She leaned into him and took another pull of dark lager. 

"I thought you hated the beach." 

"Yep," She rolled her eyes. 

"What's your daughter like?" They'd been playing this game today too. Off hand questions. They both had an appreciation for Leonard Cohen's music. They'd both on holiday in America as children. He hated TV, she loved a good drama or The Office. He'd gone to university, she did two years at a local plus the recent semesters for her new job- teaching law and policing seminars for teenagers interested in such. He had quit Broadchurch before getting his surgery. They both had sisters. 

"She's sixteen." 

"Yah?" 

"Looks nothing like me or her mum," He took out his wallet, showed her a picture. 

"Bullshit, she's got your eyes." 

"She loves music. Wants to go to school to be a music teacher. Plays piano and violin and sings..." 

"I'd like to meet her." 

"She'd like to meet you." He ran his hand lightly up and down her back. "Were you happy growing up?" 

"Yes and no. Did you grow up in Glasgow?" 

"Aberdeen, went to a military boarding school in Glasgow and just kind of stayed." 

"That sounds terrible." He grinned. 

"Yes and no." She took a deep breath of salty air and turned her cheek into his shoulder, resting against him and closing her eyes. He caught a hand, brushed a quick kiss against her forehead. She smirked. He had repeatedly admitted he had no idea what he was doing but it was so damn endearing. She wanted to stay in the fumbling beginning forever. "Was is hard to move away?" 

"Tom didn't speak for three weeks. Olly came to visit and he tried to leave with him." He squeezed her hand. She breathed deeply again. He tightened his hand around her ribs, tugging her more firmly against his side. 

"Shut up," 

"I didn't say anything!" She suppressed a girly giggle. 

"You were thinking it." 

"Thinking what?" He stood up abruptly and dragged her up too, he made a move back towards the motel room. She held her ground and walked back towards the shore line. For once he followed submissively. 

"Shit that's cold," He glared when she ventured into the shallows and he got splashed. She shrugged and swung their joined hands teasingly. He muttered something about being bloody eighteen or something before pulling her in for a kiss. He could feel her fingers on his hips and a light smile teasing the corners of her mouth and tickling his own. 

He thought maybe this is how you're supposed to feel all the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you ever so much for reading <3 
> 
> Feel free to throw suggestions for this or other stories. I'm a highly bored teenager. I'll write just about anything.


	7. What Are These?

He had come in the bathroom while she was dressing to get a tee shirt he had left on the floor. He put on a big show of being casual in front of her when she was only wearing jeans and a bra. She gave a shy smile as their eyes met in the mirror. He dropped the gaze quickly, distracted by something he hadn't seen before on her left shoulder blade. His brow furrowed. 

"What's this?" Before she could pull a shirt on his fingers zeros in on the sparrow tattooed on her skin. The ink was vivid and the bird was about the size of his palm and it was just to the left of a raised patch of skin. A long healed something. Her breath caught and she stared down in the sink. She was surprised he hadn't noticed earlier in their couple rounds of body sharing. 

"Why don't you like the water?" She returned. He took his hand away. She pulled her shirt on. Not yet. Not now. She wasn't ready for this. He turned to leave but leaned on the doorframe, biting on his lip. 

"I almost drowned." He offered simply. She crossed her arms over her waist protectively. There was a much longer story weighing down his own shoulders. 

"Same," Metaphorically. There was a beat of awkward silence before she turned around and brushed past him, pushing up on her tip toes to kiss him chastely. "Let's not rush into this Alec," He touched her cheek. He looked disgruntled but he seemed to understand her fully. That made her shiver. She covered the fingers caressing her cheek. "Thank you for this," 

"Thank you," 

It was well into Sunday afternoon when they returned to her home in Gracing. Fred was down for a nap. Lucy kissed her on the cheek, nodded at him, and left without a word. Alec winced. Ellie snorted and leaned on the kitchen counter. 

"You sure know how to-" 

"Shut up," He leaned next to her. "Should I be going?" 

"Do you need to be somewhere?" 

"Finding a job probably," He rubbed the back of his neck. "And a place," 

"Fun," 

"Absolutely," She tucked herself against his chest, slipping her arms up around his neck. He grabbed her waist tightly and rocked back on his heels. He sighed deeply. 

"Tom has football practice on Wednesday. We could pick him up and do dinner maybe?" She felt him smile against her neck before pulling away, hands squeezing her hips before falling away entirely. 

"Yah," 

"Yah?" 

"Sounds good." He kissed her long and well and saw himself out. She locked the door after him. Fred was bleary in his bed, awake enough to hold out his arms for her. Ellie scooped him up and sank into her own bed. Fred settled down beside her and started snoring comically loud for such a tiny person. She smiled.


	8. Epilogue

Fred Miller turned four on crispy and clean October morning. A few of his little friends from daycare were running in circles around the backyard with him, kicking several footballs around and yelling in some sort of made up language and dragging balloons all over the place. Olly and his beautiful new wife were watching them. Tom had a bunch of friends, many of them siblings of Fred's friends, piled in the living room locked in a vicious video game tournament. The coffee and end tables were loaded with pizza rolls, sodas, energy drinks, and what was left of the three layer chocolate cake Ellie had spent two days working on. 

She was sitting in one of the bar stools in the kitchen with the other Mums, drinking beer and complaining about work and men. The men were out front attempting to assemble the bright red trike Alec had bought for Fred. By the time their combined genius had it going the women were cleaning everything up and scooping up their kids. A few teenagers were staying the night so they receded upstairs with enough food and drinks to last for the night's scary movie marathon. 

After all the couples had said goodbye, Ellie recruited Lucy and Olly to get the house clean enough to let her sleep easy that night. Fred was getting his first bike lesson out front and Ellie took stealth pictures from the porch. After her sister and nephew left and kissed Fred goodbye Ellie joined in on the fun, racing her son up and down the street on foot while he screeched and attempted to run her over with his newest weapon of mass destruction. Alec grinned from the mailbox, hands in his pockets. 

He never did fine his own flat. He took the spare bedroom for awhile. After the third week of her falling asleep in there with him they finally got over any pretenses. He was still policing, getting a detective gig in a suburb of London just thirty minutes away. A year and a half almost flew by. They certainly kept busy. 

A year and a half of waking up to fresh flowers in the Kitchen. 

A year and a half of butting heads and pulling rude faces and hand gestures and far too many apologetic wine bottles. 

A year and a half of him shaking the "worst cop in Britain" moniker and taking a coffee mug to work that Fred had decorated with a crude portrait of his Mum. 

They exchanged books and spent late nights on the couch and paid Tom to watch Fred on some weekends while they snuck out to discover new pubs. They did take more than a few camping trips back to that beach they had discovered. There had been four two week stints with Teresa Hardy coming to visit, giggling with the boys and playing violin early in the morning and making her Dad smile almost as much as Ellie did. 

There was only ever one big fight. Raised voices woke the kids up at three in the morning. They came out with bruises and matching rings, thin silver bands around their left fourth fingers. They sure as hell weren't married if you asked either of them of course. Committed as fuck though (her words once, that made him laugh so hard he had to lie down). 

Tom was a star football player at school and had a casual girlfriend that came round to dinner once a week. Fred had at least six girlfriends that made him throw his head back and disdainfully declare "women" (a perfect mimic of Alec she discovered). 

Olly got married the previous August. The girl was a school friend of his from Scotland so Alec wore a kilt and shook hands with similarly dressed men from her family. Ellie still wasn't done laughing about that. He just grumbled and pulled her out for a dance before she could take yet another picture on her cell phone. He told her he loved her and she told him to shut up. She said it back after he got back from a nightmare of a case and promptly battled the kitchen to make her soup since she was fighting a helluva cold in bed. He shrugged nonchalantly but there was a light in his eyes that still hadn't faded. Some days they weren't any different than they were when they first met, others you would think were straight out of a daytime movie. 

Fred got tired of the bike and the cold after a half hour and went running inside to bother Tom. 

A pink cheeked, out of breath Ellie crossed her arms and playfully pushed against Alec's arm. He dug his chin into his thick tartan scarf and raised an eyebrow. He pulled the edges of his wool overcoat around her as he caught her waist and pulled her fully against him. He kissed her forehead. 

They could hear teenagers screaming on the second floor and the windows rattling from the bass of the TV speakers. 

Neither minded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is.   
> Thank you SO much for your kind words an such. You make me happy.   
> I'm definitely not done writing Broadchurch junk. I'm gonna give a slow burn slightly angstier story a shot. Drop off some suggestions and thanks again for reading through this useless fluff.   
> Cheers! <3

**Author's Note:**

> I have too many feelings about these characters >.


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